Cracked Black Pepper Pasta Recipes

MUSHROOM AND BLACK PEPPER PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add the linguine and cook for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta. Set the pasta and pasta water aside.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms have browned, about 3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the cream and Parmesan, then bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and the pasta water and toss together, allowing the sauce to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the black pepper and toss to distribute. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.

PASTA WITH PECORINO AND PEPPER

Steps:

• Place the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle and crush them until you have a mixture of coarse and fine bits. (You can also grind them in a small food mill or coffee grinder.) Set aside.
• Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package until al dente. Ladle 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into a glass measuring cup and reserve it. Drain the pasta quickly in a colander and return the pasta to the pot with a lot of the pasta water still dripping.
• Working quickly, with the heat on very low, toss the pasta with 1/2 cup of the grated Pecorino, the crushed peppercorns, cream, butter, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt, tossing constantly. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved cooking water. Off the heat, toss in the remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino. Serve immediately with a big bowl of extra grated Pecorino for sprinkling.

CACIO E PEPE (SPAGHETTI WITH BLACK PEPPER AND PECORINO ROMANO) RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and about a teaspoon of black pepper in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until ingredients are fragrant and pepper is barely starting to sizzle, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• Place spaghetti in a large skillet and cover with water. Season with a small pinch of salt, then bring to a boil over high heat, prodding spaghetti occasionally with a fork or wooden spoon to prevent it from clumping. Cook until spaghetti is al dente (typically about 1 minute less than the package recommends). Transfer 2 to 3 tablespoons of pasta cooking water to the skillet with the olive oil/pepper mixture. Stir in butter. Using tongs, lift spaghetti and transfer it to the oil/butter mixture.
• Add cheese and remaining tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and stir with a fork until cheese is completely melted. Add a few more tablespoons of pasta water to the skillet to adjust consistency, reheating as necessary until the sauce is creamy and coats each strand of spaghetti. Season to taste with salt and more black pepper. Serve immediately, passing extra grated cheese and black pepper at the table.

TONNARELLI A CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, filling pot slightly less than normal. (This increases the amount of starch leached from the pasta as it boils.)
• Add pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta, transferring 6 cups pasta cooking liquid to a medium saucepan; keep warm. Wipe out pasta pot.
• Cook oil, pepper, and butter in pasta pot over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes. Add pasta and 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid and cook over high heat, stirring vigorously to help draw starch from pasta, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add 3 cups Pecorino Romano in large handfuls, stirring and tossing vigorously with tongs, until very creamy. Stir in Grana Padano, adding more pasta cooking liquid if pasta is dry. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately with more Pecorino Romano on the side.

CRACKED BLACK PEPPER-SHRIMP ALFREDO

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Meanwhile, bring milk just to simmer in large nonstick skillet, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese, Parmesan and pepper; cook and stir 3 to 5 min. or until cream cheese is completely melted and sauce is well blended. Add shrimp and tomatoes; cook and stir 2 min. or until heated through.
• Drain spaghetti. Add to cream cheese sauce; mix lightly.